California Apparel News

Square-cut swimwear styles a hit with West Hollywood’s fashionable set

The nearest beach may be more than 10 miles away, but the popularity of swimwear literally looms large in West Hollywood, Calif., a Southern California town incorporated in 1984 as a haven for gays and lesbians.

Towering near the corner of West Hollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevard and Huntley Drive is a billboard showing a handsome, muscular man who is wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy Aussie Bum swim trunks.

Perhaps a touch more risqueacute; than an Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement, the billboard could be taken as a sign that boardshorts—the iconic surf staple—do not dominate every male body in California, at least not in West Hollywood, a 1.9-square-mile town sandwiched between Beverly Hills and Los Angeles’ Hollywood neighborhood.

The fashion swimwear that sells well in West Hollywood is not specifically designed for the beach. Pool parties at private residences are a popular part of West Hollywood’s social calendar. Shopping for fashion—including fashionable swimwear—is just plain important to many residents, said Rusty Updegraff, promoter, producer and founder of Beige, a 10-year-old nightclub at the Falcon Restaurant, located at 7213 W. Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood.

“Pools are just big with us,” Updegraff said of the city’s stylish gay party scene. “Swimwear is big. We’re not going to wear swimwear twice in the same two days.”

Sales at the town’s fashion retailers reflect the obsession. At LASC, located at 8592 Santa Monica Blvd., customers often pick up several pairs of fashion swimwear in one trip, according to Alfredo Izaguirre, the store’s partner and buyer.

The obsession with fashion swimwear is a year-round thing, said Sean Lee, owner of two locations of In 2 Male, located at 7974 Santa Monica Blvd. and 7985 Santa Monica Blvd. “I’m surprised that it does well in winter,” he said of the skimpy bathing suits.

Swimwear is such good business that Nir Zilberman devoted his Just One LA store, located at 8915 Santa Monica Blvd., to swimwear and fashion underwear. He opened the store on June 6, adjacent to Rage, one of West Hollywood’s most famous nightclubs. He also owns another Just One LA store at 7978 Santa Monica Blvd.

The top-selling swimwear brand at Just One LA is Sydney-based Aussie Bum. The most popular Aussie Bum style is the “League” bathing suit. It’s a square-cut suit that fits tightly, hangs low and barely covers the upper thigh. The swimwear also bears athletic style numbers on it. It retails for $56. The square-cut suit is tailored for body-obsessed men, Zilberman said. “If you spend two hours in the gym, you will spend money on underwear and swimwear,” he said.

Case in point is Aussie Bum’s “Shine” style. The square-cut suit retails for $135 and is made from a metallic nylon that gives the swimwear a sparkly look.

Also popular is Los Angelesshy;–based Pistol Pete’s “Rugby” swimwear. It also comes in a square-cut style and features racing stripes down the side and a lace-up front. It retails for $48.

Other top-selling suits are also square-cut, including those from Spain’s Meyda Naval (with a price range of $40 to $50) and Los Angeles’ Timoteo, which costs $50.

At LASC, baggy boardshorts by Modern Amusement sell well as something to put on over the square-cut bathing suits, typically before the pool party, Izaguirre said. They retail for $88.

While the square cuts seem to have overtaken the imagination of LASC buyers, it’s not the only style in stock. The ubiquitous Aussie Bum “Wonderjock” suit is a Speedo-style suit that gives the crotch a lift. It retails for $64.95.

Also popular are Diesel’s “Sharky” style (retail priced at $60) and Dolce & Gabbana’s bikini with drawstrings topped off by silver studs (retailing for $145). Brands Speedo, Tyr and Sauvage also sell well, as does the store’s in-house brand, called LASC. The label’s loose-fitting “Freshman” style costs $56 retail. “It’s forgiving, and it’s easy to wear,” Izaguirre said.

At In 2 Male, fashion swimwear brands such as Sauvage and Meyda Naval are popular, as are highly imaginative styles such as Tulio’s brief equipped with side laces (retail priced at $50).

The taste for more risqueacute; and unusual swimwear typically depends on how much one is willing to bear, said Updegraff, the party planner. “We’re not Playboy bunnies,” he said.